The United Democrats (Ενωμένοι Δημοκράτες, Enomeni Dimokrates, EDI) is a liberal political party in Cyprus. The party was founded by former President of Cyprus George Vasiliou in 1993 as "Kinima Eleftheron Dimokraton" (Movement of free democrats). The party later merged with ADISOK (a group of ex- AKEL members) to form United Democrats. The party is a member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party. Its member of parliament, Androulla Vasiliou is member of the ELDR Bureau. At the last legislative elections, 27 May 2001, the party won 2.6% of the popular vote and 1 out of 56 seats.
During the 2004 Annan Plan Referendum, the party supported the Annan Plan for Cyprus.
In 2005 the party's president George Vasiliou stepped down and Michalis Papapetrou was elected president. In the elections of 21 May 2006, the party won only 1.6% and lost parliamentary representation. After the loss of the parliamentary representation Michalis Papapetrou expressed the will to resign as a leader of the party. In March 2007 the vice-president Praxoula Antoniadou took the leadership of the party.
In the 2011 Legislative Elections, the United Democrats decided to support the governing party, AKEL. The party leader Praxoula Antoniadou was a candidate MP for AKEL.
In August 2011, President Demetris Christofias has appointed United Democrats party leader Praxoula Antoniadou as Minister for the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism of the Republic of Cyprus.
Read more about United Democrats: Presidents
Famous quotes containing the words united and/or democrats:
“The popular colleges of the United States are turning out more educated people with less originality and fewer geniuses than any other country.”
—Caroline Nichols Churchill (1833–?)
“In all history no class has been enfranchised without some selfish motive underlying. If to-day we could prove to Republicans or Democrats that every woman would vote for their party, we should be enfranchised.”
—Carrie Chapman Catt (1859–1947)